Rail-joint.



H. L. MERRIMAN & T. MAY.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED !AN.2I. 1914.

' 1,142,266. Patented June 8,1915.

221; Fwy N ,9 INVENTORS /l./-. Merv/man.

HARRY L. MER-RIMAN AND TONY MAY, 0F WOODLAWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed January 21,1914. Serial No. 813,593. I

forth,-for connecting the opposing ends of a pair of track rails together, and at the same time allowing of the contraction and expansion of the track rails.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a rail joint, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, whereby the track rails are connected together without the employment of threaded bolts and nuts.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a rail joint, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, eflicient and convenient in its use, readily set up and knocked down and comparatively inexpensive to. manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views; Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan partly in section, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a locking member in an inoperative position, and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrating a locking member in an operative position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 4 denotes a plurality of ties for supporting track rails 5 and 6, each of the latter having its web formed with a plurality of openings 8.

Arranged at the sides of the webs 7 are fish plates 9 and 10 each of which is of a length to oppose the webs 8 and each of said fish plates is provided with a plurality of oval-shaped openings 11 by way of example 4 in number. Each of the fish plates is provided at its lower edge with a base flange 11 overlapping one side of the bases 12 of the rails and extended as at 13 to seat upon the ties 4. The extended portions 13 of the base flanges 11 are provided with notches for the passage of the shanks .14 of spikes. The shanks 14c engage in the ties 4: and have heads 15 at their upper ends which overlap the base flanges 11 whereby said flanges are fixedly secured in position. The openings 11 in the fish plates 9 and 10 aline with the openings 8 of the web 7, and extending through each set of alining openings is a locking member 16 having each of its ends provided with a head 17 having the inner face thereof oppositely beveled as at 18 and 19, which is adapted to engage the outer face of a fish plate. Whenthe looking member is shifted from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4:, it sets up a wedging action whereby the fish plates 9 and 10 are connected together to the track rails. To prevent the locking member 17 from shiftingwhen in looking position, tie bars 20 and 21 are provided and which extend through the heads 17. The tie bars 20 and 21 are oppositely disposed with respect to each other and extending through one end of each of said tie bars is a cotter pin 22. The other end of the tie bar is provided with a handle 23. The heads 17 are provided with openings for the passage of the tie bars 20 and 21. The fish plates 9 and 10 extend from the bases 12 to the heads 23 of the rails 5 and 6.

What we claim is In a rail joint, the combination with the abutting rails, of fish plates adapted to wedge into the sides of the rails and to overlap the ends thereof, locking members adapted to extend through elongated holes inthefish plates and the web of the rail between, said locking members having on each end an elongated shaped head with flattened sides, the overhang portion of the head being beveled in each direction on its inner surface, whereby when turned the locking members engage the fish plates at each end In testimony whereof we afliX our signs-- and wedge them dagainst and into the rails, tures in the presence of two witnesses. and a tie bar a apted to pass through a plurality of the locking members, whereby gg g ig g' to prevent their turning out of locked position, and a key to hold the tie bar locked in Witnesses:

place, substantially as and for the purposes NICHOLAS L. BOGAN,

described. MAX H. SROLOVITZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner'of Patents,

' 7 Washington, D. C. 

